The Stress and Relaxation Game
by Miss Tigger
Summary: The position of Student Body President is a tough job; Nathaniel often finds himself overworked because of it. From new students to school events, everything must be prepared and done without a hitch, even at the cost of his own wants and needs. That is, until he meets Lilith: the curious new girl with an affinity for sarcasm, arguments, and her own stress-induced relaxation game.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Early mornings were known to be quiet, peaceful, serene. The moon shines brightly, having have reached its zenith. Stars slowly fade into the background as night begins to end and the dark sky brightens as it turns to day. Nocturnal beings retreat as the rest of the world starts to stir, still savoring the last moments of peace.

_Brrring! Brrring! Brrring!_

"Damn it." A voice mumbled from under black and white sheets, a hand reaching out to silence the harsh ringing that was the alarm clock. "And I was having such a nice dream too." The light comforter flew off, leaving the teenage girl underneath. She stretched her limbs, still stiff from sleep. She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand.

_5:00 AM_

Suppressing the urge to fall back asleep, she stepped off the bed and rolled her neck and shoulders. They were stiff, even more so than her joints. She frowned, tossing her long black hair behind her shoulders as she sized herself up in the full-length mirror that sat in the corner next to her closet. Amused at the fact that her midnight tresses vaguely resembled what was known as 'a bed head', she grabbed a brush and pulled it through her hair a couple times before grabbing a hair tie and putting it up into a ponytail, her bangs covering the. She looked down at her blush pink tank top and sleeping shorts before stripping them off for a loose t-shirt, and running sweats.

She stepped out of her apartment, locking the door behind her, and headed down the stairs, stepping into the stillness of the early morning. The air was crisp, rich with the scent of dew and sweet night air, and she began her run around the quiet town, letting the cold air envelop her.

She stopped by a park on the way back, throat dry and lungs burning as she inhaled the chilling autumn air. Throwing herself onto the bench, she shut her eyes and waited until her breath regulated once more. She cursed quietly; annoyed that she had forgotten to grab a water bottle on the way out when she heard footsteps in the distance.

Judging from the pattern and the short breaths, she guessed that someone else was running this morning as well. They grew closer for a moment, and she heard something placed on the spot next to her. The footsteps grew farther away. She opened her eyes, catching a blonde male turning a corner in the direction she had just came from, and noticed a plastic bottle sitting in front of her. She checked the contents, the clear liquid only filling up to half of the bottle. A grin worked its way onto her face as she drank her fill and jogged the rest of the way back, the grin planted firmly on her face the entire time.


	2. Dark Meets Light

**Chapter 1: Dark Meets Light**

_Sweet Amoris High School,_ The girl thought as she fixed the neck of her plum turtleneck. _My new school._

She stepped past the gates and into the hallways and was met by a woman old enough to be her grandmother in a pink dress, her silver hair piled neatly into a bun that sat atop her head.

"You must be our newest student. Welcome to Sweet Amoris." Her greeting was grand, and she pulled the girl into a friendly hug. "Miss Sphinx, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The girl laughed at the formality. "Just Lilith is fine." She said, adjusting her bag.

"Well Lilith, you still need to finish your enrollment form with you ID photo, and the $25 enrollment fee. You can see Nathaniel for that. He should be in the student council room over there."

Lilith nodded and politely excused herself, opening the gestured door. A blonde male sat at the table, sorting through papers she suspected to be the enrollment forms. He looked confused and a bit frazzled at her arrival, and she took the moment to appreciate his handsome features. Golden hair, golden eyes, a sweet smile, and a light golden tan evidently left over by the summer sun. However, it was that curious, almost mischievous glint in his eyes that really got her going.

Suffice to say, he currently defined her definition of _très chaud_. Moreover, compared to the darker looks of her own raven-hued hair and red eyes (which somehow made her summer tan look a bit lighter than his), she was a dark Sphinx to his shining Ra.

She held out a hand. "Hi. The director sent me here concerning my enrollment forms. Is Nathaniel here?" She said, her eyes glittering like a chandelier. He took it, his grip firm but gentle. By just looking at the muscles in his hands, she could tell that he wasn't the type for big and buff, but slim and toned.

_Hmm, that's hot._

"I'm the student president, Nathaniel. You must be the new student." He said, his smile a bit strained.

"My name's Lilith. Lilith Sphinx." He nodded and shifted through the files on the table.

"Huh? That's weird. It was just here." He mumbled, running a hand through his already tousled hair. Lilith reached past his shoulders and grabbed a folder he had set down moments ago.

"This one's mine." She said, an amused tone weaved into her words. He flushed in embarrassment and mumbled thanks before checking its contents.

"You just need an ID and the $25 enrollment fee." He said, taking the needed items when she held them out. "Thanks." He said as he placed them with the papers, and then set the manila folder into the file cabinet, running his hand through his hair once more. "That should be it then." He turned around to face her, the stress that came with being the student council president evident on his face. Lilith cocked her head and moved forward until they were only inches away. Nathaniel flushed. He wasn't used to such a close proximity. "W-What?"

"You don't look like someone who gets out much."

"…Excuse me?" Was all he managed. In all honesty, he half expected her to pull a move or something. Many girls he had met had done that, including his sister's friends.

"Is being president that stressful?" She asked, genuine curiosity glinting in her crimson eyes.

"What?"

"Is it that stressful? I mean, don't you ever relax?" She continued.

"It's not that stressful. And I _do_ relax." He said pointedly, even though he was lying.

Her eyes were skeptic. "Liar."

"I'm not a liar." He replied. _Okay, maybe it is as stressful as you say it is,_ he thought to himself.

"Hmm. I see how it is. A shame, I know a lot of ways to relax, and it looked like you could use them, but I guess it's not as bad as I thought." She said, mainly to herself. She raised a hand in goodbye. "Maybe next time, Mr. Student Council President."

Nathaniel watched as she turned on her heel and stalked out of the room, the bottom of her black skirt flouncing up with every step she took. He flushed when he saw more skin than what was shown from her long black socks, and inwardly smacked himself for looking there in the first place. He sighed and sank into his chair. She was right. His position was stressful. Having to have to make all the final decisions was easy, but he also had to make sure everything went without a hitch, from school events to new students. He shut his eyes and leaned against his chair, trying to relax his eyes. They hurt after having to check and recheck all the enrollment forms for the director.

"Lilith!" A boy's voice floated into the room.

He reopened his eyes and frowned. Who yells in the hallway in the middle of class time? Sure, Castiel was probably skipping again, but he usually kept to himself.

"Ken! What are you doing here?" A girl's voice, he absently noted as he shut his eyes once more. Perhaps he should consider taking her offer to help him relax, he wondered, thinking back to her offer.

Wait…That girl's voice sounded familiar…

He opened his eyes, the realization dawning on him.

"That girl's voice _is_ Lilith!"


	3. His Sister

**Disclaimer: **No ownage.

* * *

**Chapter 2: His Sister**

Lilith felt many emotions at the moment. She was expectant for her first day, eager for wreak havoc around campus and worried for her eccentric aunt the moment she stepped out of the apartment. But that all blew over into shock and annoyance when she heard Ken.

"What are you doing here at Sweet Amoris?" She managed to keep the irritation out of her voice and even plaster on a fake smile.

"When I heard you were moving here I asked to transfer too so we could be together." If she could see past his insanely thick glasses, she would probably see that his cheeks were a little flushed.

A muscle in her cheek twitched. _Great. The source of all my stress has followed me here._ "Oh, look at the time! I should be getting to class." She said, eager to leave.

"I'll walk you there!"

_Oh god, please don't._

"That's okay, I'm fine on my own." She hurried away, making a break for her locker. "Locker 107." She tried the combination, the door swinging open with ease. She was in the middle of stacking her books when the locker suddenly shut on her hand, causing her to yelp in pain.

"Bloody Hell!" She bit her tongue; Her cousin had scolded her frequently about her swearing, so she had taken to using words from the Victorian Era. Apparently, it had led to a slight accent, not that it was noticeable anyhow.

"You must be the new girl." A haughty blonde sneered at her, flanked by a black haired girl applying lipstick and a pouty brunette.

Lilith popped a piece of gum into her mouth and ignored the blonde, arranging the last of her books before locking her locker.

"Hey! Listen to me when I'm talking!" She exclaimed.

"Princess, you're rocking that 'Queen Bee' scene with your followers there, but don't be such a drama queen." Lilith met emerald orbs with her own scarlet gaze, the blonde bristling with anger. She smirked and turned to leave, and heard a sharp crack before she even registered the pain.

"Serves you right you bitch." She scoffed. "And FYI, there's no way red is your natural eye color." She laughed, as did her two groupies, and she considered another round of taunting.

"Hey." The blonde flipped her long wavy hair over her shoulder in response. Lilith touched her cheek, her fingers coming away red. She frowned.

"You should keep your claws either cut or retracted. It's unsightly," She coolly, eyes challenging. "You crazy buor."

"What did you call me?"

"I said, 'you crazy buor'."

Amber growled and lunged at her, and Lilith prepared to take on the attack. But they were both surprised when a pair of hands firmly grabbed the ravenette by the shoulders and yanked her back, out of the blonde's range of attack.

"Enough!" All eyes were on the blonde president, his gold eyes burning with an intensity that froze them in fear. "Amber, what is going on here?" His eyes scanned their faces when Amber didn't respond, his grip on her shoulders tightening to the point where it began to hurt. She winced and averted her eyes, looking anywhere but him. In the short amount of time she had spent with him she knew that while his body was linked to his mind, his eyes spoke his heart. She could tell that he was enraged by the current situation, and it frightened her. _So full of anger…_ They brought back memories she had long tried to forget.

Nathaniel calmed himself and sighed. He didn't want to do this at the beginning of the year, but nobody had spoken up. "All of you have detention for next three days." Amber looked outraged.

"Nate! I can't believe you! You're giving your own sister detention? What kind of brother are you?" She complained, obviously furious.

Nathaniel simply rolled his eyes. "After school, report to Room 115. You'll be there for at least an hour and a half." He looked back at his sister. "And it's because I'm your brother than I can do these things sis."

"Nate!" She whined. He ran a hand through his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment.

"You're going to detention Amber. No buts. Lilith, come on. Let's get you a band-aid." He said, pulling the quiet girl by the hand.

"She's...Amber's your sister?" She suddenly said, as if just processing this new information, then winced when he tightened his grip on her hand. "Careful, that hurts."

He slackened his grip as they went into the nurse's office. "Sorry, I didn't even realize I did that." He gave her the universal sign for "sit" while he searched the cabinets for bandages.

"So...You and Amber are siblings?"

He came over with a band-aid, an awkward expression etched onto his beautiful face. "Yeah, we are."

She looked at him in a mixture of disbelief and humor. "Yes, despite how different we are, we're siblings. Does that answer your question?" He said, a hint of sarcastic humor she didn't realize he was capable of embedded in his words.

_He was probably used to having to answer this question,_ she giggled as he cleaned the cut using a cotton ball and hydrogen peroxide. She hissed when it touched broken skin, retaliating by squeezing his forearm. He laughed, applying a standard band-aid onto her cheek. "Let me see your hand." She looked at him skeptically but complied anyway. Her right hand suffered a sharp red line across the back of it, courtesy of Amber when she shut her locker on her hand. It hurt to move her fingers, but it wasn't too serious, from Nathaniel's conclusion, just a bruised bone. He went back to the cabinets, grabbed a tube of ointment and a roll of bandages and applied the items to her sore hand. The ointment was cool against her heated hand, and the bandages covered it up nicely.

"Where's the nurse?" She asked, the thought just occurring to her.

"She's out for the week, family emergency."

Lilith cocked her head. "So not only are you the student council president, but you're also a doctor. That must look good on your resumè." She teased.

He laughed and sat next to her on the bed. "It would, but only if I apply to a college."

"Aren't you going to?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Tuition. I'd have to get a scholarship to pay for all of it, even though my family is pretty well off already."

"How are your requirements going?" She continued, kicking off her boots so she could hug her knees.

"I've got enough to be eligible for one."

"I don't see the problem then." He sighed, laying down on his back, eyes shut.

"I was lying earlier. I am pretty stressed, and it makes me uptight." He felt her shift on the bed.

"I know. I read your body language."

His eyes shot open to look at her, and he flushed at the proximity. Her face was inches away from his own, and he could hear his heart breathing. Out of shock, his voice lowered to a breathy whisper. "What do you mean by that?" His hormones were raging. He'd have to get used to close proximity with females, considering the fact that he never had time to date due to his studies.

"When you said you weren't stressed, you avoided looking me in the eye, your breathing shortened a bit, and your pulse was racing."

_That's probably because you were so close, like now,_ was what he wanted to say. Instead, he decided to pursue his curiosity. "Where did you learn that?"

She didn't say anything, as if she was hesitating to answer. "My parents taught me." She sat up and faced the wall. "My mom was a psychologist, and my dad was a lawyer."

Her sudden movement registered in his mind, but it didn't seem strange and he didn't pursue it. "Sounds like you're pretty well off."

"Yeah. We were a happy family, like the ones you see on TV where the parents always took time out of their schedules to be with their family."

_Were?_ "They sound wonderful."

"The best."

"I'm jealous." He mused. "Amber is my mother's favorite so she spoils her, and my dad is usually working, so there isn't much we can do."

She scoffed. "Amber is your mom's favorite? If I was her, I'd pick you instead."

He laughed and poked her side. "Amber is only like that here. At home we're just your average siblings."

She pouted. "I still wouldn't pick her. I just met you and I already know who I like better."

He couldn't hide his smile at that.


	4. Scarlet

**Disclaimer:** I no own, I wish I did though.

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update D: I've been busy with tumblr - *brick'd*. Any~ways I'm really surprised by the amount of readers there are, I didn't think this story would be as popular as it is. I mean, it's fairly recent but it's already placed third in the amount of hits out of all my stories, the first being The Second Skylark and second being A Symphony of Innocence. Funny how all three stories have a word that starts with "s" as the second word...

And so, I LOVE YOU ALL, here's the next chapter :)

* * *

**Chapter 3: Scarlet**

After her eventful morning, the rest of Lilith's day seemed to go by like a snail race. Her schedule wasn't too bad. The student distributions between classes were based off their scores for each subject, so she and Nathaniel saw each other often. She eventually got around to calling him Nate, as well as meeting a girl named Iris during her study hall period. Two quickly became friends.

Lilith easily found her way to Psychology 1, her favored subject back at her old school. She sat in the back, in a spot where she could observe the entire class. Mr. Demure turned out to be a young male teacher with stark features: fair skin, ink black hair and bright blue eyes. Apparently he was one of those young, heartthrob teachers all the girls crushed on, hence, the front most rows were filled with the bulk of the class's female population trying to catch his attention. A few girls who weren't interested enough to want his attention filled out the back of the class along with the boys. Class hadn't started yet, so she amused herself by doodling in her notebook.

"What are you doing here?"

She knew that voice.

Lilith kept doodling, watching the last of the students pile into the classroom. One of them, a guy with hair as red as her eyes sat in the seat next to her.

"I'm talking to you, freak."

Lilith put on her headphones; the electronic beat effectively blocking out the blonde's crow-like voice. They were yanked out of her ears along with her mp3 and carelessly thrown onto the red head's desk. He had headphones on too, but he took one out to throw a glare at her. She ignored him and focused on the blonde towering over her on 4 inch pumps. The red head looked from her to the blonde, to the player on his desk, then back at her. He smirked and plugged his headphones into her player and began going through her music, nodding his head to whatever song he was listening to or frowning and skipping to another song.

She could tell it was mostly the latter. Guess electronica and R&B wasn't his thing, because that was the bulk of her music.

"Hey Amber, didn't realize you still existed."

She scowled. "Whatever. You're officially a part of this school now, so I only have one warning for you." She leaned in close, a furious glare in her eyes. "Stay away from Nathaniel."

Lilith scoffed. "Who are you, his mother?"

She growled, but merely turned and left. "Just stay away from him."

Lilith rolled her eyes and faced the red head. He was still looking through her songs. She tapped his shoulder and he looked at her, taking out his headphones. "That's my music player."

"Yeah, so?"

"Can I have it back?"

He smirked. "Nah. There's a load of lame music on here, but there are songs of a band I like that I don't have."

"...What?"

"No." He said plainly, popping the headphones back on.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "An eye for an eye it is then." She said as she snatched his mp3 and her headphones. He shot her a look, and she returned it, scrolling through his music files. She let out a squeal when she saw songs by The Winged Skulls. He looked at her with a what-the-hell-are-you-doing face, in which saying her facial expression was passive would be an understatement. She rolled her eyes and lowered the volume enough to be able to hear Mr. Demure and started jotting down notes about "the wonders of psychology", as he put it.

His enthusiasm was contagious. She had to give it to him; he had the hearts of the majority of the female population.

The last bell rang, and the girls took their sweet time packing, going up to Mr. Demure and asking questions with flushed cheeks and flaky smiles, who answered them all with a smile reminiscent of Nathaniel's. Vaguely she wondered who used that smile first.

She left the classroom, rock playing in her ears as she flounced down the hall.

"Lilith!" She stopped and turned, the director walking over to her. "There you are Lilith. I was looking for you." The girl took out her headphones. "Every student here participates in a club on campus, and because of that there are no gender-specific clubs. You're lucky; you only came a few days late. So, the clubs with open spaces would be the basketball club, swim team, newspaper, science club…"

"Swim sounds nice."

The gray-haired lady jotted something down on her clipboard and smiled. "Good. They're having practice after school at the pool today, so you'd better hurry!" She said as she hurried away.

"Ah - wait!" She swore in the nearly empty hallway and rolled her eyes. "Damn it, where's the pool?" She said, wandering outside. She spotted the red head from earlier and realized they still had each other's players. She sauntered over and unplugged the headphones, switching their music players back. He looked at her and frowned. She ignored it. "Hey Scarlet, would you happen to know where the pool is?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Do you or don't you?"

"I might, I might not."

Oh, someone better be ready to hold her back. She may be new, but her temper would soon gain the reputation it deserved.

"Why do you need to go there anyway?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Swim team. The director had me pick a club, mandatory I suppose."

"You'd better hope they have a swimsuit in a big enough size."

She smirked and put her hands on her hips. "Thanks. I'm very proud of my girls after all."

His eyes glinted with disclosed humor. "Funny, I meant it the other way." He muttered. "The name's Castiel, not Scarlet." He pointed behind her. "Pool's that way, Lilith. Enjoy the water for me."

"Thanks." She said, heading that way. She froze halfway upon realizing something and turned back, but he had disappeared somewhere.

"How did he know my name?" She dropped the thought once she reached the pool. Like the director had said, there didn't seem to be gender separation. She looked around for the coach, making quick small talk with some members.

"Lilith? What are you doing here?"


	5. A Piano Piece

**Disclaimer:** I can't own everything now can I?

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**Chapter 5: A Piano Piece**

There were many reasons why Lysander was able to sleep earlier. His aunt, though eccentric, was a comforting paternal presence, considering the fact that he and Leigh lived alone in the city. She was like their second mother, in her own way. There were times when she would stay to cook dinner, times when she would celebrate their birthday, times when she would just be there-more often than not. Life without her would simply be unsatisfactory.

A frown marred his elegant face. "Lilith my dear, I've told you more than enough times already. Calling people 'toys' can lead to misunderstandings and misunderstandings can lead to problems." He scolded.

Lilith was a large contributor. He completely adored her, despite not entirely showing it. She was, in a word, fun. Unreadable, yet predictable. Smart, yet silly. Instinctive, yet dense.

"I understand that Lysander. Would you like me to apologize?" Her words were apologetic, but her expression was anything but, with her scarlet eyes screaming withheld defiance.

She didn't like to be kept on a leash, but she didn't want to be completely loose. She was a bundle of contradictions, a puzzle. She was so simple, yet complex. The idea of truly figuring her out tantalized his wayward mind in the darker hours of the night. The secret he knew about her literally screamed to be told the moment he saw her.

"An empty apology is worse than no apology at all, my dear." He said, briskly.

Here she was, in front of him, staying with his aunt in Sweet Amouris.

Her red eyes softened.

"...I'm sorry Lysander..."

She was hiding secrets, but so was he, so was Leigh. The odds were against him, with her here, she'd gravitate toward him, and his secret wouldn't be safe. However, at the same time he would be able to unravel her mind, something that he was never able to attempt after she stopped visiting them after that incident in their youth.

His hand automatically moved to push back a lock of hair behind her ear, fingers lingering at her cheekbone.

"It's alright my dear." He smiled softly at her.

She was his amusing little sister.

She leaned into it almost instantly, warm scarlet eyes looking up at him.

He was her gentle older brother, even if legally cousins.

The door opened and Castiel walked in, Demon secured with a leash. "Am I interrupting something Lys?"

He had a secret.

"No, nothing at all Castiel." They pulled apart.

An ironic one.

"You sure man?"

"Positive." Lilith responded. "Now keep your lips shut about the topic, Scarlet."

"Lilith dear, your language. I believe Leigh has received compensation for the damages caused?"

"Yeah, that stuff emptied my wallet. I'm surprised Nate hasn't said anything about it, all these façades that I've seen; he'd think you were as 'corrupted' as me."

Because she was, in fact, his secret.

"Well, I'm afraid to say it appears often in our family. We've always been quite, as you would put to terms, 'wacked up'."

"So it does, so we are." She shot a one-sided smirk at the red head. "How would you know?"

Castiel gave an easy laugh. "Ya'know something Lys, I just might actually like this cousin of yours."

A chuckle escaped his lips as he glanced lovingly at the girl in all her glory. Years apart hadn't changed her in the slightest. People grew fond of her quickly, as per usual.

"Indeed."

* * *

A week passed and Lilith quickly grew accustomed to her new routine of waking up at 4 am for a jog around town, leaving the apartment by 5 so she could make it to the swim club for morning practice at 5:30, washing off in the locker rooms after, changing, then meeting with Nathaniel at the Student Council so they could walk to class together.

Nathaniel hadn't said a word about anything stress-related, so she never brought it up. They chatted about various things; she supposed he never really spoke to anyone as casually as he did with her. Lysander wasn't very close with the blonde, so there was little she could work with.

"Hey Lilith," she looked up from the notes she was taking. Their English teacher, Mrs. Tier, happened to have a love for philosophy, a topic that appeared often during a lecture. At the moment, she was discussing one of Francis Bacon's quotes, the clock only minutes away from releasing them to lunch.

"Yes Nathaniel?" She glanced up at him, he looked rather tired today. Was he up late studying for today's Chemistry test?

Nathaniel hesitated before answering. "Could...Could we maybe try one of those relaxation techniques you were talking about?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a thought…"

She sighed and turned back to her notes. "Give me a time and a place."

He paused before smiling. "Thanks. Could we do it in the Student Council room during lunch? I'm busy the rest of the day."

"That's fine with me, my aunt wanted to take me out shopping later anyhow."

"Lilith, is there something you and Nathaniel would like to share with the rest of the class?"

Nathaniel stalled for a moment. Were they talking that loudly?

"No, Mrs. Tier." Lilith said. "We were just conversing about one of Francis Bacon's quotes."

"Really now? Would you care to share the quote Nathaniel?"

_Oh, this woman is clever,_ she thought, looking over to her supposed partner in crime.

Nathaniel racked his brain for a quote. "'Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion'."

After a moment, she nodded and turned back to the board, only to be interrupted by the bell.

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_

The class began packing up, she and Nathaniel lingering behind as Mrs. Tier announced that there wasn't to be any homework, insuring cheers from the students.

They made their way to the SC room, avoiding any passing by students.

Nathaniel had spent the last night looking up relaxation techniques; Lilith's offer to help him relax had been tempting him since the beginning of the week. They were mainly breathing and massage, but a few were just a bit too…strange, for him to handle.

It didn't help that he had no clue as to what kind of techniques she was speaking of.

"So, what did you have in mind?" He asked, locking the door behind him. He didn't want anyone watching in on them; it would spark misinterpreted rumors all over school.

She gave him a look and sat down in a chair. "I was thinking we'd start off slowly." She gestured to a chair opposite to her, which he took. "Close your eyes and take deep breaths. Once you're relaxed, we'll start."

He did as he was told, though he was becoming slightly lightheaded.

He was doing this wrong, wasn't he?

"You'll end up hyperventilating like that. Breathe slowly, as if you're getting sleepy." She was frowning, he could feel it.

"Good. Slower, deeper breaths...clear your head..."

His breathing hitched; there was something on his chest.

"Shh...Just relax." He felt her hands gently pull at the fabric of his tie.

"What are you-?"

"I'm giving you some room to breathe. I'm guessing it isn't very comfortable to always wear the top two buttons, not to mention this tie."

His mouth opened to defend himself, but it quickly closed. Why did she have to be right?

He felt her smirk at his white flag. Blood rushed to his cheeks in embarrassment.

"'A woman's guess is much more accurate than a man's certainty'."

"What?"

Her fingers paused at his top button. "Rudyard Kipling." She said, amused. "Don't tell me you forgot the hour we spent in Mrs. Tier's class listening to her lecture about him, considering it was yesterday."

He silence spoke volumes, and she giggled.

"Alright, I'm stopping now." She said. "Are you relaxed?" Her hands fumbled with his shirt neck. She seemed stuck on the second button.

He released a deep breath. His body wasn't as tense as it was before. It was looser, and it felt a bit more nimble. His head was clear.

Good, no more dizziness.

"Yeah."

"Keep it like that then."

His hands reached up to undo the pesky piece of plastic, fingers brushing over her knuckles. It came undone easily under his touch, ensuing an indignant huff from her. Her hands pulled back almost immediately, but he didn't wonder why.

"Here, listen to this." A pair of earbuds was set in his hands, and he put them on blindly. He was surprised to hear instrumental music playing.

How classy of her.

He sat there for a few minutes, soaking in the arpeggios and decrescendos. He had listened to many different instrumentals, pianos, violins. This piece, it was different. Something he had not heard before.

"Hey, Lilith?"

No answer. He couldn't hear anything but the music, thanks to the sound blocking of her earbuds.

"Lilith?" She didn't even give a sign that she was even listening.

The music stopped, and he pulled out the headphones. "Lilith...?"

She wasn't even in the room.

A piece of paper on the table caught his attention.

_I left this 15 minutes before lunch ended. I wonder when you read it, how much time you'll have to eat._

_-Lilith_

_p.s._

_I expect my music player back by Monday if you plan on keeping it over the weekend._

He looked at the clock, and sighed. It had only been five minutes since she left. He looked at the track, which had been set on repeat. No artist, no album, but there was a title.

_"Three in the Morning (Aftermath)"_

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**A/N: **The song Nathaniel was listening to does not belong to me :3 It's one of my favorite tracks from Homestuck Vol. 9 (sue me) and is definitely on my relaxation playlist. I don't know, it just feels calming, and I'm a huge Homestuck :)**  
**

You can listen to it on youtube here: /watch?v=nkRwwNcIkEw (add that to the end of the youtube URL)


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